Compression type refrigerating system



June 8, 1937.

COMPRESSION TYPE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 51, 1932 v v INVENTORS Waflwb (2- cm ATTORNEY.

' w. A. KUENZLI ET AL- 2,083,454

to such systems in which a receiver Patented June 8, 1937 PATENT OFFICE COMPRESSION TYPE SYSTEM Kuenzli and Charles B.

assignors to Servel, Inc.,

Walter A.

ville, Ind.,

BEFRIGERATING Lceson, Evan's- New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31,- 1932,

7 Claims.

Our invention relates to refrigerating systems of the compression type and more particularly accumulator is connected in the system between the condenser and evaporator.

When, in such systems, a water cooled condenser has been employed together with a water control valve connected to be operative responsive to the pressure in the high pressure side of the system, it has been found that when the compressor is shut down the water control valve does not always operate to shut off flow of cooling water, which results in waste. In accordance with our invention this unsatisfactory operation is corrected preferably by connecting a check valve in the system between the condenser and the receiver.

A more complete understanding of our invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

The figure shows diagrammatically a compression type refrigerating, system provided'with a check valve in accordance with our invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown diagrammatically a well known compressionv type refrigerating system comprising a compressor l driven by a motor II, a condenser l2, receiver l3, and evaporator or expansion coil M. The condenser I2 comprises an outer coil of tubing l5 and an inner concentric liquid circulating or cooling coil l6. Obviously, it is immaterial whether the cooling liquid, in most instances water, is circulated through the inner coil H5 or the outer coil IS, the refrigerant being onculated through the other coil.

In operation, the vapor of the refrigerant being utilized, which'for purposes of description may be methyl chloride, is compressed in the compressor Ill .and delivered through conduit IT to the condenserl2 where it is condensed to liquid. The liquid refrigerant passes from the condenser I2 through conduit l8 into the receiver I3 from where it is delivered through conduit l9and the control means into the evaporator or expansion coil I4. The control means 20 is any kind of manually or automatically controlled or even fixed pressure reducing or liquid flow regulating device and for purposes of description may be an expansion valve. Due to the reduction in pressure on passing through the control valve 20 into coil l4 the liquid refrigerant evaporates, the heat of vaporization being supplied by the surrounding medium thus producing a refrigerating efiect.

or liquid I condenser and receiver.

the condenser toward the receiver.

Serial No. 640,379

The refrigerant vapor is returned to the compressor 10 through conduit 2|.

The flow of water through the coil 16 is indicated by the arrows in the drawing and is controlled by a valve 22 responsive to the pressure in the system on the high pressure side of the compressor. The automatic water control is shown diagrammatically to represent a. pressure responsive device in which the valve 22 is operated by a bellows 23 connected to the high pressure side of the refrigerating system through conduit 24. The valve 22 is designed to openand allow the flow of water when the pressure in the condenser reaches a predetermined value and to close when the pressure drops below this value.

It is, of course, .well known that this type of refrigerating system in household service is not operated continuously but that its operation is intermittent, that is, divided into alternate op-' erating and idle periods of lengths depending upon the refrigeration demand. It has been found that when the compressor stops at the end of an operating period the control valve 22 does not always close to terminate the flow of cooling water through the condenser. It has been found that this occurs whenthe receiver I3 is subjected to a temperature above that of the condenser, the latter being determined of course by the temperature of the cooling water supply. When the compressor is shut 0113 no more high pressure gas is delivered to the condenser and the flow of cooling water causes condensation of gas in the condenser which should cause a drop in pressure and closing of the water supply valve 22 in response thereto. However, when the cooling water temperature is below that of the air around the 'receiver l3, liquid refrigerant in the latter evaporates, and the vapor flowing back through conduit I8 exerts pressure on the liquid in the condenser so that the condenser pressure will not drop below that at which the control valve 22 is set to close-and thus cooling water continues to flow during the idle periods, which results in waste of water.

In order to overcome a check valve in the this difliculty we locate conduit I8 between the This check valve may be of any known structure which allows flow of fluid through conduit l8 in only one direction, from By the use of this check valve, when the compressor stops at the end of an operating period, and, as described above, liquid refrigerant begins to evaporate in the, receiver l3, the check valve prevents flow of vapor from the receiver toward the condenser wherefore the pressure in the condenser drops, due to condensation therein, without further supply of vapor, and continues to drop past that pressure at which the water control valve 5 22 is set to operate and the'flow of cooling water is shut oil during the idle period.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that .various changes may be made in the construe tion and arrangement without departing from '10 the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited towhat is shown in the drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated in the following claims.

We claim: 7 l5 1. In a refrigerating system of the compressorcondenser-expander type, a condenser comprising a pair of concentric tubes, means for circulating cooling liquid through one of said tubes, means for controlling circulation of liquid through said tube responsive to the pressure in the condenser,

a closed receptacle connected to receive condensate from said condenser, and automatic means for allowing fluid flow only from said condenser toward said receptacle.

2. In a refrigerating system of the compression type, a tubular type condenser, means for cooling said condenser, means for controlling the operation of said cooling meansresponsive to the pressure in the high pressure side of the system,

an accumulating chamber connected -to receive liquid from said condenser, and automatic means' for preventing fluid flow from said chamber to,- ward said condenser.

3. In a refrigerating system of the compressorcondenser-expander type, a condenser comprising a pair of concentric tubes, means for circulating cooling liquid through one of said tubes, a valve for controlling circulation of liquid through said tube operative responsive to the pressure in the 4 condenser, a liquid receiver connected between said condenser and the expander, and a check aoaasu.

valve for automatically preventing flow of fluid from said receiver toward said condenser.

4. In a refrigeration system of the compression type, a compressor, a condenser, means for cooling said condenser operable responsive to pressure in the high pressure side of the system, an accumulating chamber connected for unrestricted flow of condensate from said condenser thereto, and means for preventing return flow of fluid from said chamber'toward said condenser when said compressor is idle.

5. In a refrigeration system of the compression type, a condenser, means for cooling said condenser, means for controlling the operation of said cooling means responsive to pressure in the high pressure side of the system, an accumulating chamber connected for unrestricted flow of condensate from said condenser thereto, and autocooling water through one of said tubes, a valve for controlling flow of water through said tube responsive to pressure in the condenser, a receiver connected for unrestricted flow of condensate from said condenser thereto, and automatic means for preventing return flow of fluid from said receiver to said condenser.

WALTER A. KUENZLI. CHARLES B. LEESON.

matic means for preventing return flow of fluid 

